A Dragon's Heart
by Victim of Doubt
Summary: Dragons. Slave boy Kaito has always been transfixed by them. Glistening scales, noble personas, courageous hearts and the power of Heaven grouped altogether. After a sudden turn of events, Kaito finds himself traveling with not one - but two of the Heavenly Beasts. Their objective? Unclear... save for survival in an unforgiving journey. Collaboration with Yasumi Mizuki. KaiMi
1. Kyte

"You are a useless slave!" Leon said in a deep huff, throwing the vase directly at him.

The blue-haired slave boy knew that his Masters' throws were weak from nausea and pain. Besides, the vase was made from bamboo so it wouldn't hurt at all. He took the blunt force, biting his lip on contact.

Master Leon chuckled at his pain. He sat cross-legged on the floor. "Boy, get me more wine," he huffed. "And do it quickly, too."

"We ran out."

"Then get some."

He cocked his head in confusion. "W-Where do I get more?"

Master Leon rolled his eyes. "Get it from the storage room near the basement. Where else you thick-headed slave? For a boy of sixteen years, you're more idiotic than my stupid wife Lola." His piercing blue eyes strayed to the black-haired woman transfixed by the gentle swaying of the willow leaves. Draped in a kimono weaved from fine silk, she turned to their direction with a grin plastered to her accented features.

"Lon." Her words were thick and brash, contrasting such delicate looks.

"Leon," Master corrected her impatiently. Then his stern gaze returned to the slave boy and it intensified. "Well what are you still doing here, boy! Get me more wine!" He added with another indignant huff, "Make dinner too."

The slave boy got up, bowed, and ran out the room without even bothering to slide the door shut.

The wine had run out yesterday after Master Leon's over-consumption.

No wonder he was in such a bad mood.

The slave boy looked up towards the ceiling, picturing the sky's dark plumage. It was heading towards Winter and his Master still hadn't decided to harvest the crops. It wasn't like the slave was stupid enough not to know how to harvest; it was just that he had no order to pluck the meager grains. If Master had found out the slave had acted outside an order, he would be furious.

Bending down to reach the bowl full of millet and lentils in a low shelf, he grasped it in his left hand and trudged out the hut quietly.

Outside, the dark clouds lolled lazily.

There were a lot.

The slave boy could only count up to ten as he had ten fingers.

Master Leon had boasted, during a visit to the nearby market, that he could count up to six thousand. When the slave boy had asked Master to teach him, Leon had guffawed heartily in his face and splashed the bucket full of live fish onto him. Humiliation comforted the slave as he spent the rest of the day cooking them only to have them thrown out for their 'bad taste'.

But no matter, he was away from his terrible Master's displeased gaze and out in the open.

"How are you all today?"

The goat wagged its tail, the chickens clucked and the dog - large and golden - barked softly. The slave boy inclined his head to the canine and quietly murmured, "No meat for you today." Grabbing a handful of the mixed millet and lentils, he threw it to the floor where the animals raced and butted the other to dine first. He continued to do this until the bowl was only a quarter finished.

For tonight, this would be his meal.

The slave boy wore patched trousers, reaching only up to his knobby knees. A thin red string held the patches (taken from other worn trousers) together. Draped in a plain white threadbare jacket, he tried to keep himself warm as he passed the arguing beasts to a large bronze gate slapped to the corner of the stable. A key dangled from his neck and he tore at the string and unlocked the steel bars.

An audible click graced his ears.

Entering the pitch black darkness with the bowl on hand, he placed a foot hesitantly on the step, and then another, followed by another until he was finally at the bottom with an excited grin spread across his face.

"How are you today?" he repeated.

A soft rumbling came from the deepest end.

"I know it's dark," he bit his lip. "But don't lose hope. Master Leon said he might clean your pit by the end of this m-mo-month." The word was hard to say, and the meaning behind it was totally lost. The slave boy had no use for these words. His job was to just serve the Imperial Creature Keeper. "Master Leon," he started again, "Wants to bring you outside. What do you think?"

The rumbling stopped, replaced by a gentle chime.

Did that mean they were happy?

He so desperately wanted to peer into the darkness and see the magnificent beasts with his own eyes. He envisioned the dragon to be large, larger than him with fierce eyes and extraordinary wings. Scales a deep yellow as the sun itself. One day, he would be brave enough to steal a lamp from Master's private storeroom and explore the dragon's domain.

But for now…

"Here's my dinner," the slave boy said heartily. "I'm not sure what dragons eat, but I guess you can have my-"

A strange gonging sound was followed by a faint weigh—no heavier than a feather—on his shoulder.

"W-what-"

_Quite a nice young boy, you are._

"H-huh?"

_Yes, Yes._

He turned round, leaning on the wall for support.

_At least you're not blonde like that idiot Leon. It's his fault we can't stand that color._

The voice emanated in his head.

_Mikuo and I would love you as a companion._

"C-Companion?" he whispered quietly. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

_What's your name?_

"I-I have no name."

_Really, well that's too bad, then. Mikuo, would you mind to name him?_

There came a soft grumble from the depth of the cave.

_Why not? How odd is it that his blue hair looks like the kite our old care-taker used to make? Boy, your new name is Kaito. Sounds like kite, no?_

It was true. He did have a unique hair-color, but what exactly was a 'kyte'? In fact, he really had no interest in a name. His parents had sold him without one, as Master Leon had used him without one. A name sounded so useless.

_Oh, don't think like that! After all, while we journey across the lands you're going to have to be an optimistic dear little human to appease the both of us._

Appease? This voice was starting to say things he did not understand.

The quick shadow of a tail whipped the bowl out his hand and he made out the dark silhouette of something reptilian shoot for the bowl and drag it back to the dark pits. His heart skipped a beat and he took a bold step forward, wanting to know more, wanting to see more. Don't be a fool, his mind coughed. You'll get eaten alive! The gonging sound continued until it was loud enough for the slave's hand to shoot for his ears.

"What's going on down there?" a familiar voice shouted.

It was Master Leon!

The slave boy turned heel and ran up the stairs in a deep fright.

Master Leon opened the gate for him to pass but before the slave could explain himself, he grabbed the key from his mattered hand and locked the gate shut. Master Leon's expression was a mixture of disbelief, fury and irritation but the slave was more worried as to how something that looked so thin could stop a powerful beast of Heaven.

"What were you doing down there?" he spat.

The slave boy bowed low until his face hit the ground, painfully. "I was looking at the dragons."

Master Leon's face contorted. "I thought I told you not to go down there!"

"I-I couldn't resist-" the slave boy started but his words were cut short when Master Leon planted a rough kick to his ribs. Behind him, Lola cocked her head and tugged at his kimono's large sleeves. The blond man's lips were set in a grim line. The save caught him say, "Useless boy. Tomorrow I shall sell him for more money than he's worth," as he departed from the scene.

The slave rarely cried but he couldn't hold the salty tears any longer.

"Lave," Lola muttered.

The slave boy looked up at her shining blue eyes and forced a grin to quell her distress.

"Sabe," Lola murmured again, wiping a stray tear with the edge of her kimono.

The slave boy understood she was trying to say "Slave." He wasn't surprised she was calling him such a name since that was what he was called. And if Master Leon would sell him tomorrow, which he would definitely do, then the boy needed a new life. So tomorrow morning, as soon as the sparks of dawn rose, he would run from his horrible life.

"Kaito," he corrected her. "My name is Kaito."

* * *

This fanfic was stemmed from my fixation with dragons when I was young. I used to buy DVDs detailing about both Eastern and Western dragons and their so called "way of life" and drastic difference in appearance (even though my brother's repeatedly called them hoaxes).

Originally, the title was supposed to be Sirayuki but it was changed to A Dragon's Eye (courtesy of Yasumi Mizuki) before finally being refined to A Dragon's Heart.

This fanfic is a collaboration between Yasumi Mizuki and yours truly. Yasumi Mizuki beta-reads the chapters I write and adds her own personal touches. To her, I am eternally grateful for bringing this fanfic to life.

Victim of Doubt: Well it's fun to finally have finally posted this fanfic. Truth be told, this was intended to be KaiMi but then I got swayed into writing LenKu... before finally posting this as KaiMi.

Yasumi Mizuki: Hello all my sweeties! This is my first time doing a collaboration and with one of my virtual friends! It'll be fun to try this out, so please be kind to my chapters! I know it's strange for me to say this since I've been doing my own fanfics for a long time now, but I hope you enjoy reading our collaboration!

- Happy Hari Raya,  
coming to you from Brunei!


	2. Obedience Forever More

The once dark sky was colored a rich and mellow orange. Dawn was approaching.

Clouds were scattered upon the wide open sky and were tinted a light pink. Kaito took notice of this and rose from his so called bed. Kaito. He just received his name the other day and it felt strange to have a name. He ignored this thought and focused on escaping. Escaping from this familiar place with the creaking floor boards and leaking tapestry. He was escaping from his home.

He already decided on this choice and there were to be no second thoughts. Once he took a step out from this hellhole, there was no turning back. Kaito had to admit that he did pity Lola, but it was no time to think of such things now.

Master Leon would be up soon and that would mean he wouldn't be able to take this advantage to make his way out. Master Leon was asleep, tucked in his futon in the the farthest corner of his abode. It was the only place Mater invested in repairing. Kaito had been there only once. It was twice the size of the barn and littered with pictures of foreign lands - mostly illustrations with plenty of cherry-blossom trees in-season.

Kaito quietly made his way out of his room and made sure to be careful of his clumsy steps.

He wasn't the quietest, but he was very cautious. He cursed the floors for being aged, but he has been inside this palace of Master Leon's for so long that he knew every creak in the flooring. For all he knew on his own behalf, Kaito could have walked through the halls blindfolded and still wouldn't get caught.

He shook away the thought and swiftly took careful steps while avoiding certain areas. It was like walking on a multiple-colored flooring.

When he successfully passed through the hall he made his way outside. There would be no guards at this time, or rather Master Leons' guards didn't give much of a care and didn't put so much effort into their tasks.

Opening the door quietly, Kaito took a step out into the cool night and inwardly rejoiced. He made it. He was outside!

Kaito nearly laughed, but kept his lips sealed. Wait...but what of the dragons? What did they need him for? These question compelled him to take one more look at them no matter how damning the thought. He had heard dragons were vulnerable to iron. If things got hasty, Kaito would pray his hands would be swift enough to unsheathe the iron dagger strapped to his abdomen.

Nearing the gates, he saw that they were ajar. Kaito raised an eyebrow and glanced around. He precisely remembered that Master Leon had locked it the other day. A sharp whip caught his attention and he spun around. The light of the sun had blinded him for a moment...wait, the sun was barely hanging in the sky.

Whatever this brightness was, it blinded him for a quick moment. When Kaito unshielded his eyes he was expecting to come face to face with two dragons, but instead as he cracked open his azure eyes they collided with two pair of teal orbs. It wasn't dragons he saw, no, it was far from that.

What was in front of him were two exquisite...humans?

Kaito blinked twice and rubbed his eyes. No, that wasn't possible. He was positive that they were dragons, right? They were supposed to be dragons, not mortal humans. And they weren't shameless to be bare with not a single clothing to cover them? Kaito opened his mouth and shut it, then opened it again.

"You...w-who are you?"

The two gave a simple smile. One was a female, the other: a male. Their hair was just as teal as their eyes and most of all they were the most unique beings Kaito has ever seen. They were beautiful beings.

"You've already forgotten?" the female spoke. Her voice sounded brutally familiar.

"How rude." The male spoke. "But I do suppose that it is reasonable to not recognize what we are after taking a form like this." The male glanced at Kaito thoughtfully. This was an entirely new voice with new vocals.

"I-I don't understand."

"You will soon, once we part away from here and are on our journey." Journey? What were they talking about? Kaito shook his head, but then realization came to him.

"So, you've remembered now?" The female smiled once again. "But we have no time to talk away, for now we must flee before the sun rises."

Kaito was stunned. He didn't want to believe this was happening, but it was. It was already happening and he just had to go along with it. Like a fool, he spluttered the only thing that came to mind. "Clothes... You..."

The male titled his head. "Clothing... for us?" he looked down upon himself and at the female. "I suppose we should." Kaito gave a quick nod, dumb-struck.

"I'll come back." The blue-headed boy left to go back inside, so regretfully. He had to quickly find some kind of clothing, anything. He only had the one pair that he wore and nothing else. Kaito froze for a moment. He almost laughed ruefully as he figured out where the only clothes he could get. "No," but he had to.

Kaito made his way into Master Leon's room. There he slept and Lola as well. Kaito didn't dare make the slightest breath. His steps were very, very careful and barely made a sound. When he reached the wardrobe Kaito didn't hesitate to dig through it and look for both a female and male clothing.

Once he took what he needed Kaito carefully walked back to the open door, sweat rolling down his scalp.

"Kaito?" his name cued him to freeze. Wait, but it wasn't Master Leon's voice and no one called him by that name besides the dragon and...

"Ah," Lola was sitting up on her futon with a questionable look in her eyes. Kaito must have looked like a thief, but somehow Lola managed a slight smile. Kaito was awe-struck. Lola understood what he was doing which had surprised him greatly. She kept her lips sealed and placed a finger to her lips, as if she were hushing him.

Kaito was grateful for her and left. When he arrived back outside, the two teal-headed male and female were still waiting patiently.

"This is what I could get." He handed them each their own Yukatas. Pleased that they weren't bare any longer Kaito sighed. "The sun," looking up into the sky, his eyes met with yolk-like sun. It was slowly rising over the horizon. He remembered when Master Leon ordered him to go into the market to fetch a basket of eggs he accidentally dropped on on the way back.

He saw the yolk and it always reminded him of the sun early in the beginning of the day. When he returned Master Leon noticed that one of the eggs were missing. Kaito had to endure being hit and yelled by him as he went on endlessly that money did not fall on trees.

What rights did Leon have to complain when he was wealthy enough to buy acres of land?

"We have no time left, we must depart now." The female tightened her Yukata and turned towards the woods and away from the palace.

"We will explain on the way." The male followed the girl and soon Kaito trailed along them. They headed into the thick woods where a narrow trail led them to the market in which Kaito went too often. When they were a good feet away where the palace wasn't in sight the female and male turned towards him.

Kaito noticed something he hadn't before. As they turned, their skin glinted as if there were transparent scales upon their skin. He seemed amused by it.

"We are dragons,"

"But not ordinary dragons, you see."

"We have the power to shift into these forms that are called humans, but we are still pure dragons."

"I am Mikuo and this is Miku. We are siblings and have a journey ahead of us."

Kaito now understood, but was still confused. "W-what is your journey?" Miku and Mikuo both glanced at one another then at Kaito. He left the palace and away from Leon, but now was thrust into a journey he didn't even know of. And the thing to this was that he was traveling with dragons. Dragons.

He wasn't going insane, because what he was seeing in front of him now were two dragons in the form of humans. They claimed to have him go on their journey with them, yet he didn't have the slightest idea of what this so called journey was. All he wanted was to be free, not plunged into a path he didn't want.

But what if he never met and conversed with these dragons? Where would he be now if he never met them? Would he be in the hands of a new master or living a life free of being a slave?

No, that was not possible, because even if he did escape he would have no where to go. If he never met these dragons he would just be lost.

For once, Kaito was grateful that he was a slave, because escaping and going to travel with dragons did not happen every day.

* * *

This chapter was written by Yasumi Mizuki.

Victim of Doubt: Oh, um this chapter was supposed to be posted a really long time ago but I can't spend my life on the internet. I made several edits but 98% is all Mizuki's work. Give a clap or two for this fine diva.

Yasumi Mizuki: Okay, so this chapter is a bit short due to my writers block...sorry guys. But I did my best with this chapter!


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